Aloes + Haworthia winter light requirements

[PhilW]

I have a few choice Aloes and Haworthia inc some variegated ones which i want to keep happy over the winter months. If i keep them in the greenhouse at pretty cool temps they go into a state of dormancy to avoid them going leggy and drawn out?

Also how little light can they get away with not having? Will they be ok on q bottom shelf in the shade pretty not and do the variegated ones need more light than non variegated ones?

Regards
Phil

[McFarland]

I'm relatively new to growing Aloes in a Greenhouse, but my experience so far has been to move plants up/down the levels of staging depending on how much light is available! All of my aloes were perfectly happy sat on the top shelf by the roof in the spring, but many had to be moved down as the sun got too strong. I imagine the opposite would be true in winter. There must be some minimum amount of photosynthesis going on, so I guess they will require a fair amount of light

[Herts Mike]

For what it's worth I give my plants the maximum amount of light in winter that I can get. If you can put them on a top shelf, do so.

[PhilW]

thanks guys will cook em on full gas when the weather permits over the colder months

[ralphrmartin]

For what its worth, most of my Haworthias are cold, wet and in fairly dismal Cardiff over the winter, and most seem to thrive without getting etiolated.

[PhilW]

For what its worth, most of my Haworthias are cold, wet and in fairly dismal Cardiff over the winter, and most seem to thrive without getting etiolated.

Hi Ralph - do you just give them a tiny drink say once a month over winter or wait a bit longer as i assume too much water may cause them to keep growing but with less light a tendency to get leggy?

[Bill]

For what its worth, most of my Haworthias are cold, wet and in fairly dismal Cardiff over the winter, and most seem to thrive without getting etiolated.

Sounds about right Ralph.

Phil, few of mine (>1500) get special treatment over winter. I do keep the greenhouse frost free and I'll water them if necessary.

[Herts Mike]

For what its worth, most of my Haworthias are cold, wet and in fairly dismal Cardiff over the winter, and most seem to thrive without getting etiolated.

Do you keep them in the garden then Ralph?

[ralphrmartin]

Ralph - do you just give them a tiny drink say once a month over winter or wait a bit longer as i assume too much water may cause them to keep growing but with less light a tendency to get leggy?

I water them perhaps every couple of weeks - same time as I give my Tylecodons and Othonnas some water (varying if it is extra cold and dark, or extra sunny). I don't give them a lot, but more than a "tiny drink" - I quickly run the watering can up and down the rows of plants so they perhaps get 25ml each at a very rough guess? In fact, I water them pretty much year round except for the ones which obviously like to dry up a bit, like H. arachnoidea and lockwoodii, and I give them a month or two dry in the hottest part of the year.

[ralphrmartin]

Do you keep them in the garden then Ralph?

Yes, my greenhouse is in the garden!